A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Semiquaver
SEMIQUAVER (Lat. Semifusa; Ital. Semicroma, Biscroma, Semifusa; Germ. Sechzehntel, Sechzehntheil-Note; Fr. Double croche). The sixteenth part of a Semibreve.
The earliest mention of the Semiquaver occurs in the 'Practica Musicæ' of Franchinus Gafurius, printed at Milan in 1496. It may be found—though very rarely—in the printed Polyphonic Music of the 16th century, in the form of a black lozenge-headed note, with a double hook,
or 
; and it is manifestly from this early type that our present figure is derived. In the 16th century both Semiquavers and Quavers were always printed with separate hooks. The custom of joining Quavers together by a single line, and Semiquavers by a double one, dates from the 17th century; and the credit of the invention is generally accorded to John Playford. Hawkins gives the year 1660 as 'about' the date of Playford's improvement; and tells us that the new method was first copied by the Dutch, then by the French, and afterwards by the Germans; but quotes the folio edition of Marcello's Psalms (Venice, 1724) as a proof that the Italians adhered to the old plan until late in the 18th century—as did also the Spaniards.[1] Long before that time, the custom of grouping Semiquavers after the modern manner was in constant use in England (except—as now—in cases in which a separate syllable was sung to each note), as may be seen in the early printed editions of Purcell's 'Te Deum,' and other similar works, in which may also be noticed the substitution of the roundhead for the earlier lozenge. [See Semicroma, Semifusa, Semiminima, Quaver, Notation.]
[ W. S. R. ]
- ↑ Hawkins Hist. vol. iv. bk. iii. ch. 5. note.